If Only For A Day
by Leanne90
Summary: A one shot set shortly after Elena's transition, written for the TVD Author2Author exchange. It's Christmas in Mystic Falls but what do you get the guy that you rejected? Elena finds the perfect gift for Damon, his humanity but what happens when things don't go quite to plan? Tears flow, secrets are told and there's a decision that changes everything! Angst fest!


**I haven't written in ages so I'm pretty rusty but I hope you like it nonetheless.**

**Written for lcra13**

* * *

Elena peered down at the delicate vial nesting in the palm of her hand, her chocolate orbs widening in wonder as she watched the charcoal coloured liquid swirl around and stain the glass sides of the miniature bottle.

"Are you sure this will work?" The pitch of her voice increased an octave and her brows furrowed in slight concern.

"Trust me, love." He said with conviction and his arctic eyes brightened, not quite able to believe his luck.

"You haven't given me much reason to trust you, Klaus. You wanted me dead, remember?" Elena glanced up at him fleetingly before her eyes were drawn back to the precious elixir. "How does it work, exactly?" Her blunt teeth grazed over her plush bottom lip as her mind spiralled into myriad of thoughts.

"He just has to drink it, I'll do the rest." Klaus muttered as his eyes wandered over the darkened snowflake he was painting, his head tilting slightly to inspect his work before dabbing the background a few more times to create a shadow.

"Mind elaborating?" An exasperated sigh spilled from her worrying lips and she glared at him with eyes that cut deep. "This is Damon we're talking about. I don't really think he is going to fair too well with, Klaus will do the rest."

"Ah yes, the allusive Damon Salvatore, the one you didn't pick, I might add. Trying to make up for it are we?" He sniggered and the cerulean fleck in his eyes sparked mischievously.

Elena slowly circled the pads of her fingers over the tainted glass, her eyes avoiding his but feeling the heat from them burning into her flesh.

"I just want him to be happy...even if it's just for a day." She allowed her walls to crumble for a brief moment, her emotions instantly spilling over the edges like gallons of water bursting through a crack in a dam.

"It's the blood of the original witch mixed with the blood of the one who created his line. He must drink it and I'll have a witch seal it."

"It's that simple?"

"When is it ever that simple, Elena? The witch has to call upon Ester from the other side, possess her so that what was done can be undone, and evoke the energy from the sun and the moon to bind the spell for a day. Nature will not allow any longer, the balance must be restored when the sun falls and the moon rises." He preached as though he was reading from a Grimoire.

Elena gulped in an attempt to budge the lump building in the crevasse of her throat. The prospect was overwhelming, life altering and it was just beginning to hit her, but there was no going back now. No, he deserved this and she needed him to know that after everything, she cared enough to do this for him. He HAD to know that. She gulped down a tremendous breath and held it in her lungs, pleading with herself not to unravel as the seams, no here, not in front of _him._

"Ok." She nodded and slowly exhaled, tapping the vial of liquid against her palm to the racing beat of her heart. "My life in exchange for his."

"Always the martyr?!" Klaus delicately placed his paintbrush down before marvelling at his creation. "Everybody wins." His smile gleamed at the prospect of using Elena as a blood-bag and once again surrounding himself with a sired family of hybrids.

* * *

Elena lay awake, her restless limbs tangled within her crumpled sheets, her eyes heavy and bloodshot from lack of sleep and her mind in disarray. She knew she was doing the right thing but she felt sick with worry, her stomach knotting, her lips becoming sore from her relentless chewing. Her coffee coloured eyes glanced out the fogged up window, watching the delicate snowflakes fall and she couldn't help but be nostalgic. A small smile tugged at the corners of her plush lips as she plucked the memories from the hidden recesses of her mind. Her last Christmas with her parents, which was the last time it had snowed in Mystic Falls. She watched for a while, taking comfort in them, thinking about the advice her mum would give her if she were here.

A laboured sigh escaped her as she rolled onto her back, her head sinking into the pillow as the rush of now leaked to the forefront of her mind. Everyone wanted to _fix _her; the snowflakes sprung to mind once again only this time the drone of Klaus' words shrouded them, "Everybody wins" the statement echoed in her mind. He was right. Everything would go back to normal. Well, as normal as it could get in Mystic Falls. This would fix her, make her human and desirable to Stefan, her friends would approve of her actions, approve of_ her, _and Klaus would get his hybrids. And Damon, the thought of him instantly made her mind cloudy, the whirlwind of emotions she felt for him having confused her greatly since her transition. This would give him the one thing he wanted equally to her, his humanity, at least for a day.

* * *

A turkey crown and stuffing, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and vegetables doused in warm flavoursome gravy. Candy canes, Christmas pudding and presents galore. From the outside looking in, the day seemed perfect but life was by no means a fairytale, certainly not in this town. It was strained, awkward and forced. There was no cause for the festive spirit and celebrations after the year they had endured and after presents were dished out and fake smiles were exchanged, silence prevailed.

Elena's chocolate hues were glued to the flickering fire, watching the rainbow of orange, yellow and red seductively dance together and melt into one, the crackle and pop the only noise punching through the deafening silence. One by one they gladly left until but two remained, Damon and Elena.

Her stomach churned as her hand tightly grasped the one present she had yet to give. Her mind spun with a myriad of thoughts and emotions, but, if she was honest with herself, it all came down to one thing, Damon. She didn't know why or how it happened but she felt connected to him, like she was an addict and he was her heroin and she needed a dose of him injected into her world to keep her sane. He understood her more than anyone, shared her urges and desires, felt what she felt and more. The mere thought of him ignited a heat deep inside, one that boiled and buzzed in her blood, invigorated her and always shot south. She knew her emotions would be heightened upon turning, but she honestly believed that she would have been more in love with Stefan than ever, but she wasn't; the thought ran loops in her troubled mind and created a nagging pain she knew she had to address.

Of one thing she was sure, she wanted to give him something special, he deserved happiness, more than anyone and she wanted to be the one to give it to him.

She watched him, lost in a haze of foreign emotions, the strings of her heart being plucked like harp.

"Goodnight, Elena." The melodious sound of his voice penetrated her and she gulped as her dainty fingers gripped the vial even tighter.

Elena watched him turn away from her and instantly felt a pang of loss deep inside. She needed to do this, HAD to do it.

"Damon, wait." She spoke with an urgency that even she was surprised to have mustered.

He froze dead and she rose from the sofa, her hands slightly shaking, not knowing how he would react to her secret plan.

Elena watched cautiously as he bowed his head and pitched the bridge of his nose with nimble fingers, a laboured sigh spilling from his sinful lips.

"I'm tired, Elena." He spat and she gulped at the frosty tone in his voice.

Elena leaned forward and hesitantly placed the vial of inky black liquid on the table. She sighed, rubbing her palms over the fabric of her jeans before brushing past him.

"Merry Christmas, Damon." She spoke softly, sorrow oozing from her voice.

Seconds passed before the sound of his voice interrupted her stride.

"What is it?" She turned to see him examining the delicate, glass bottle, tipping the liquid from one end to the other.

"Your present." Elena stuffed her hands into her pockets and shrugged her shoulders .

"I got that part." The devilish glow that she had missed shone for her as his words rang with smugness.

"It will turn you human...for a day." She spoke slowly and watched his ears perk at every syllable.

Silence surrounded them and Elena suddenly felt like she was being suffocated. She violently grazed her teeth over her fleshy bottom lip as her cold body began to heat with trepidation. She watched the glow diminish from his cerulean eyes and taint a midnight black, her teeth sinking further into lip as his features became cold.

"And what makes you think I'd want that and more importantly where did you get it?" His tone was icy and hit her like shards of glass.

"You can't fool me, Damon. I know you miss it." Elena tilted her head to the side as she attempted to keep her features soft and comforting.

"Where did you get it, Elena?"

She swallowed thickly and pursed her lips to prevent from answering.

"Elena?!" His voice grew angry.

"Klaus, I got it from Klaus." She threw her hands up in the air before dropping her eyes to the floor, unable to take the blazing heat bursting from his eyes as his fury rose.

"What did you do? DON'T make me ask you twice."

Tears welled in her coffee coloured eyes, spidery veins cascading down her cheeks as her emotions rushed to the surface.

"I can't do it, Damon. I can't be a vampire." Her lip trembled as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. "I don't want to hurt people, I can't!" Her shaky hand swept away the tears that spilled past her thick, raven lashes before threading through her tangled locks.

Elena's breathing became erratic, lines of mascara staining her powered cheeks as she sobbed.

"Tell me what you did." His cold hands cupped her face and his arctic gaze locked with hers.

"I made a deal with him...When he finds the cure, I'll take it."

"Why would you do that?" She watched as his eyes darted from side to side, looking for answers in her teary gaze. "Tell me why you would do that, Elena?"

"Because I can't live like this." Her hands cupped over his and she pulled them from her face, instantly missing the comfort of them.

"But why would you do that for me?" He repeated himself, his voice growing angrier as the emotion built in his eyes.

"Because I care about you, Damon." Elena pulled away from him, uncomfortable with the road they were going down.

Damon's fingers snaked around her wrist and he yanked her into his deathly clutches before pushing her against the solid wall.

"I'm the bad guy, remember? I kill people and I like it. What makes you think I'd want humanity for a day, huh?" He screamed in her face and her eyes widened in slight fear, her wrists burning under his vice like grip. "Why would you sacrifice yourself to Klaus, for the bad guy? You didn't pick me, Elena, you picked him." His voice elevated even louder as his eyes shot a bitter glance towards the ceiling.

Elena could see the turmoil swimming in his oceanic eyes, tears filling them to the brim and all she wanted to do was comfort him.

"I never said I didn't love you..."

"I never said I didn't want to be with you..."

Her voice cracked with emotion and her hands instinctively cradled her face, tears splashing into her cupped hands as her chest heaved with ragged breaths.

"I can't do this anymore; I can't live knowing that everyone thinks there is something wrong with me. I can't deal with all these feelings." Her nimble fingers gripped wisps of her hair and she pulled on it, wanting a physical pain to relieve her from the emotional one. "I need to go back; I need to know if how I feel is because I'm a vampire or whether I made the wrong choice as a human. I have to know, Damon!"

She stared at his lips, willing them to move, needing to hear a soothing symphony. Her eyes grew wide as he stepped closer to her, tentatively tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear before sweeping away the tears that lined her soft cheeks.

"You don't owe anyone anything. This is your life and I want you to live it exactly how you envisioned it. There is nothing wrong with you, EIena. I think you're more alive than ever and you don't have to give me the gift of humanity to show me that you care. I know you care." He calmed her instantly and she could see the love in his eyes. A vampire was usually cold to touch but the feel of his skin against hers made her heat.

Elena peered up into his sky blue eyes and her mind instantly became cloudy. He smelled like sugary cinnamon and her tongue quickly darted from her mouth to moisten her lips. She could feel herself pressing harder against him, needing the close proximity, the connection, craving it...him. A succulent heat pooled between her thighs and she found herself closing the gap between their lips, breaths ragged with want, eyes swelled with desire.

Electricity sparked between their lips as she kissed him with a raw, carnal need. She felt him respond immediately, his mouth opening to welcome her avid tongue, his grip of her tightening as he pulled her flush against him. Elena slipped her tongue into his inviting mouth and a moan vibrated in the back of her throat as she tasted him. He was warm and the sweet copper flavour of blood still lingered on his tongue. She kissed him with a fierce passion unlike no other and it made her mind race with lustrous thoughts, her blood buzzing as her body hummed for him. It was a kiss that spoke volumes, one that ignited fireworks and made her realise more than ever that she needed to know the answer to her most burning question.

Elena reluctantly pulled away from him, her plush ruby lips sore, burning and hungry for more. She searched his eyes knowing that he knew what was about to happen, that the kiss, although crazed and possessive, was a kiss goodbye.

"Don't say it." He begged her and she could hear emotion cracking in his voice.

"I love you, Damon. But, I have to do this. I have to know." She blinked back the tears and fled from the comfort of his embrace, knowing that she may lose all that she felt with the sacrifice she was making.

**I really hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought.**


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